Guilty of Being Innocent
by El3v3n
Summary: On a mission for something sweet, Serenity encounters more than she bargained for. Two-shot. Side story to "The Ostiary" Serenity/Yami Yugi
1. Part 1

Guilty of Being Innocent

_A Side Story to "The Ostiary"_

Kochou-hime

**All characters belong to their respective owners.**

_A.N: This story is set 1,000 years prior to the beginning of "The Ostiary" during which Serenity and company have begun their mission to defeat Zorc and his terrorizing of the Earth._

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><p>"Can I get you anything else, Miss?"<p>

The question awoke the lovely golden haired woman from her stupor where she stared upon a bowl of creamy white soup. Turning her bright eyes to look up at the plump-faced woman from where she sat, she pulled her soft pink lips into a pleasant smile.

"No, thank you," Serenity replied cordially. The dining attendant nodded as she shifted to remove the plates before her.

"Oh dear, you didn't finish your meat. Or, well, much of anything at all!" The well nourished server commented in a motherly tone, shaking her head at the now cold food that had been merely pushed around the plate.

"I-" Serenity began to explain and paused when the woman who was older only in appearance lifted her delicate wrist between her index finger and thumb. The waitress's mouth dropped open as her tired brown eyes fell squarely on the blonde's face.

The new Moon Queen, currently incognito as an unsuspecting human, was and had always been a sight to behold. Her hair shone like spun gold, faceted into two perfectly shaped buns on the crown of her head where the remaining locks were left free to spiral down to her calves. Though so petite she could be mistaken for a child, she retained the shape of a winsome woman. The fairy's narrow waist brought attention to her small yet praiseworthy curves where her pale blue dress fit snugly across her round bust and streamed down past her hips to her knees in frills and lace. Many would often stare at her in utter amazement, especially humans like the one who looked upon her unblemished and pale face now. Serenity blinked her glossy blue orbs beneath the fringes of blonde strands that graced her forehead as she politely retracted her hand.

"You may be thin," the woman spoke again softly, "but you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Has anyone else ever told you that, deary?" A rosy tinge flooded across Serenity's face as the woman laughed. "You and your cousin," she spoke tossing her glance to the other woman at the other far end of the long table. "The both of you are the loveliest ladies I've ever met! Where are you two from, again?"

"Thank you for your kind words," Serenity's true cousin, Minako, replied. "We're traveling from a town far north from here. It's very small, you've probably never heard of it." The royal cousin lied expertly in an unwavering voice. The waitress nodded, and smiled as she cleared the table.

Minako, or Mina informally, could be mistaken for Serenity's identical twin in her loveliness and general appearance. Displaying a hair and eye color that matched the Queen's she differed in being considerably taller and wearing her hair long but still much shorter than that of her cousin. Her honey blonde locks cascaded down her back and were decorated by a large white bow secured to the back of her head. The Royal cousin also donned a stunning frock whose light yellow hue complimented the lady's sun kissed skin. When the meal attendant finally exited the room with all the used dinnerware, Serenity released a heavy sigh.

"Do you think they have anything sweet around here?" The Moon's sovereign whined. Mina narrowed her eyes in annoyance upon the other woman who was poking around the covered saucers sitting on the table. Serenity's brilliant eyes widened when she spied white crystals in one of the bowls. Taking a tiny taste with the tip of her finger, her expression contorted unpleasantly. "Blegh, salt." She spoke aloud.

"You know," Mina spoke as she crossed her arms and settled her indignant stare upon the other fairy, "If you don't watch how many sweets you eat you're going to get _fat_ one of these days!" The insulted royal closed her eyes and stuck her nose up into the air.

"I've been eating the same way for almost a hundred years and I am _not fat_." Serenity pouted toward her older cousin. Mina erupted into soft laughter as she stood from her seat.

"I suppose you're right. I'm awfully tired are you ready to retire back to our rooms?" The taller blonde asked. Serenity shrugged as she glanced toward the dining room's large window. Darkness had covered the Earth and candle-lit lanterns adorning the outside of businesses and homes within the small city glowed into the curious fairy's pupils. Gracefully rising from her chair, Serenity strolled alongside her companion from the room.

The two had stayed within this quaint inn since the past evening upon Ra's suggestion. She and Mina with the company of a werewolf alongside a handful of vampires and dragons had schemed upon a plan to stop Zorc Necrophedes, a powerful demon currently terrorizing the planet with plagues and death upon even the most unsuspecting creature. Of his most tragic victims were the lives of Serenity's late mother and father, the former King and Queen of the Fae which was still fresh on the current Queen's mind. She found herself wishing day and night that her beloved parents would have stayed out of the Earth's business, as they and the rest of the Fae had made their new home on the Moon almost a hundred years ago to avoid hatred and violence such as this. The fall of the two royals had left a giant hole within her filled only with terror and disbelief as the pair were officially the most powerful fairies in known history and arguably some of the oldest beings to have survived the dangers of living on Earth.

Their powerful lineage was the sole reason she was recruited by Shimon for this risky undertaking. Serenity from birth had inherited the divine gift of her mother: the capability to create life, form and shape with the light that radiated from the depths of her soul. And so, with a heavy and aching heart the new Queen traveled to the Earth with her cousin leaving behind a younger brother, a terrified and confused eight-year old who waited for their return from the safety of their home on the Moon. The plan they had contrived involved luring the demonic creature to a land named Babylonia, a place deemed almost impossible to find and disconcertingly, a place none of their group had ever been. There, through the aid of her powerful companions she would create and trap the hateful being inside an impenetrable prison where he could never again do to another what he had done to the ones she loved.

"Did they say where they were going or when they'd be back?" Serenity muttered as she and Mina walked toward their rooms in the silent hallway.

"Seto said that he had heard some of his pack members mention something about the 'Life Elixir'," Mina spoke in reference to the item the mystical map to Babylonia, which supposedly led the way through the completion of tasks and riddles, had requested. "They went to investigate and it would be best if we stayed here-"

"And out of their way." The Moon Queen sighed. The women stopped before the door to Serenity's room to which she promptly opened.

"Look," Mina spoke comfortingly, "let them fight their own battles. If they think they don't need our assistance than that's fine by me. We've come to complete one task and I plan on doing everything I can to keep you out of danger." She finished as she followed her sovereign into the room. Serenity sat gently upon the blue and green checkered quilt of the bed and looked up to her cousin.

"How do we know this 'Babylonia' place even exists? None of us has ever been there and to be honest with you I'm not really convinced." Serenity grumbled fiddling with her hands before her. Mina quickly plopped down onto the bed beside her and caught the skeptical woman's gaze.

"Ra said he has met many of his kind who swears they've gone there by accident. You've got to have faith, Bunny. I know Aunt Serenity taught you better than this." The older blonde smiled warmly.

"She's dead, Mina." Bunny's voice rang coldly, "_Nothing_ is how it was meant to be." The Queen's eyes welled with forlorn tears as her cousin leaned in and brought the petite woman into an embrace.

"Get some rest. Everything will be better in the morning. Remember how much we loved playing outside during the day when we were children?" Serenity nodded. "We'll go check out some of this town tomorrow. I promise." The petite fairy watched as her cousin moved to exit the room.

"Who's paying for all of this anyway?" Serenity asked as Mina reached the door. While much simpler than the grand Moon Palace, the inn they were staying at would certainly be considered a luxury to those who dwelled within the modest city. Being of royal descent, neither Serenity nor Mina needed to worry about making purchases on the Moon and had no currency to pay to reside at the establishment.

"Bakura did," Mina replied with her back turned to her as she turned the door knob. The blood drained from Serenity's face at the sound of the vampire's name.

"I thought you said they left? Did he pay for everything in advance?" The Queen asked urgently.

"Seto left with Ra and Blue Eyes," Mina answered as she turned to look at the girl upon the bed. "Bakura and Yami stayed behind to look after us, just in case." She finished quietly. Serenity felt as if her heart skipped a few beats as she stared wide eyed toward her cousin. "I don't think they'll bother us or anything like that." Mina said as she stroked her fingers along the door knob, "Besides, maybe it's just me but don't you think Bakura is quite charming?" Serenity responded silently as her mouth dropped agape toward the woman's incredible statement.

"Heh, heh," Mina laughed nervously as she quickly stepped outside the exit. "Goodnight, Serenity!" She called just before she firmly latched the wooden door.

_Vampires_. The very name itself made her feel frigid all over. Her mother and every other elder she had ever known had warned her to run away in the opposite direction if she were to ever come in contact with one. Once described to her as nothing but sentient monsters who were arrogant enough to look down on every other living creature as nothing else but toys for their own amusement, it was no surprise that Serenity had been repulsed at the thought of having to travel with one let alone two of them. If it hadn't been for the pair's familiarity with their enemy she would have vehemently refused Shimon's insistence that they must accompany them.

Shaking her head, Serenity's thoughts rolled back to Mina's comment. While her lovely cousin was notorious for being popular amongst even the most attractive men, this time she had gone too far. For her to suggest Bakura to be _charming _was simply outrageous. Besides him being a blood-thieving and murderous savage, some of the things he had voiced aloud made her wonder if the white-haired male was even of sane mind. But truthfully, it wasn't the loud -mouthed Bakura that worried her; instead it was the _other_ vampire who would make her blood run cold every time he was near.

_Yami _is what they called him.

Appearing to be much more reserved than his boisterous companion, the man rarely spoke of much outside the mission at hand, well, besides occasionally taunting Seto which was usually instigated by Bakura in the first place. The mysterious vampire held an air about him that nearly screamed of danger with an aura as black as the clothes he wore over his sharp and agile form. But beyond the vague sense of warning that swarmed around him, to describe Yami as attractive would be a gross understatement. His divine physical presence was so entrancing to her that she couldn't help but silently reprimand herself for feeling any sort of alluring pull to a creature such as him.

His entire appearance was absolutely exotic to her, as if he was from a foreign land she had never been. Although not incredibly tall compared to the other Earthly men she had encountered, he stood lean and exuded a level of confidence that made her wonder if he truly believed the entire world belonged to him. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of his eyes that she was reminded that Yami was a being very unlike herself.

The monstrosity hiding behind the guise of a magnetizing human made itself known through his intense stare. His shockingly scarlet orbs were feral and untamed, as if they were better suited for a wild beast that didn't so much resemble a man. Although she made great effort to stay out of him and his companion's attention, Serenity had on occasion caught his emblazoned watch. She felt as if he looked through her rather than at her with eyes so cold and uncaring they fell upon the Queen like she was nothing; the most insignificant creature to have ever lived. His piercing gaze was so convincing of this that she momentarily believed it herself.

Serenity shivered upon recalling his callous stare. As she shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind a small noise escaped from her torso.

"Ugh, is there really nothing sugary in this place? Some fancy inn," The royal fairy grumbled to herself and turned her pouting lower lip toward the bedroom's window. Her anxiety had only made her hungrier and there was nothing that could cure a bout of distress like a morsel of sugar-coated goodness! Her cerulean eyes widened when an idea billowed into her mind. There would certainly be some sort of eatery or bakery within the small city, maybe even several, that had exactly what she desired. Moving her gaze to the closed door she pondered asking Mina to accompany her. Yet, she had seemed genuinely tired and perhaps she would forbid the idea of venturing into the city at night all together. Drumming her fingers thoughtfully against the bed's surface the new Queen suddenly stood, revealing a long black cloak from her magical subspace pocket. If there was any perk to being the Sovereign of the Fae it had to be the freedom to do as she pleased, at least when it came to her insatiable addiction for confections.

The small fairy had stealthily escaped from her room's window with ease and it wasn't long until she was walking the cobblestone streets of a town named Dulcis in complete wonder. She felt some sense safety beneath the hood of her black laden cloak, as it was a universal symbol that those with covered faces wished not to be bothered. Her eyes darted curiously from horse drawn carts towing cargo to the people strolling within the night in groups, pairs or sometimes alone. Serenity had never been amongst so many humans at once even though the city was hardly bustling in the nightly hours. She and the rest of the Fae had relocated their home to the Moon when she was only five years of age and in that time she hadn't encountered a single human entity. Her first encounter of the hominid people had been just a few weeks ago, as she had arrived to the Earth just a little over a month previously. Studying each one as intently as she could with the aid of dimly lit lights on the entrances of the small buildings, a delicious smell caught her sensitive nose. The hungry girl's eyes lit up hopefully as she immediately moved toward a modest building with a large window at its front.

"Bakery," Serenity read the name spelled in big white letters upon the glass aloud happily. Cupping her hands on the large pane she peered into the barely lit room observing a few people blissfully consuming their delectable treats. Shifting her attention to each of the patrons, she held herself back from drooling when she spied a beautiful slice of chocolate _cake_ sitting before one of the patrons. Cake being her absolute favorite food she knew immediately that's what she would obtain for her late night snack.

"Alright Serenity," she whispered, "Get in. Get the cake. And go back to the inn." The fairy reiterated the plan to herself. As she reached forward to grip onto the door's handle she suddenly released an enormous sigh. Just _how _was she planning on financing her sweet-toothed mission? Blowing a puff of air up into her wispy bangs, she racked her thoughts as her tummy rumbled in protest. Perhaps she could barter for a piece of cake? Serenity knew she had jewelry within her subspace pocket that would be more than enough to cover the cost. Checking left and then right for any approaching walkers, she reached for the magical item and paused when a peculiar sound filled her ears.

A feminine cry escaped into the night sounding as if it were coming from just outside one of the buildings. Loud enough to pique the fairy's acute senses but quiet enough not to draw attention from any of the street dwelling humans, Serenity stiffened when the sound once again returned. Warily shifting her steps closer to the unsettling noises, she stopped upon confirming the cries to be coming from a dark alley between two of the buildings. Squinting her eyes in focus, she listened to the muffled sounds of moans escape. A deep blush settled upon her cheeks as she realized she may be eavesdropping on a couple's intimate moment, but then she frowned as the groans picked up once more. An affair being carried out in a dark and dingy alleyway seemed unlikely and in the event that some poor woman was indeed in trouble, she had to investigate. Creating a small light orb at the palm of her hand, Serenity bravely burst into the buildings' crevice and balked at what she saw.

Two shadowy figures were tangled in the pitch-blackness, in which the woman was pinned to the wall by the other whose head was firmly latched to the trapped one's neck. The female's moans and cries sounded oddly pleasurable and would have been a signal for her to leave, but an odd feeling in the air kept Serenity's feet secure to the ground like heavy boulders. The flash of a glowing and crimson eye upon her elicited a gasp from the fairy who suddenly felt herself overwhelmed with a paralyzing fear. As her eyes focused with the aid of her light source, her memory pegged the male's angular jaw and wild spikes of tri-colored hair as someone she recognized.

Yami slowly lifted his face away from the now protesting victim who made no effort to struggle against him, keeping his side-gazing eye firmly attached to the new visitor. The scent of iron drifted into the air as Serenity's covered eyes widened upon two visible and bleeding bite marks upon the woman's neck. Hearing a soft chuckle, she watched, completely frozen as the vampire brushed his tongue across the wound inducing it to mysteriously disappear without a trace of its former existence. Taking in a deep breath, Serenity's mind finally demanded of her to do what she had always been instructed in the event she should come across a vampire.

_Run._

Turning around in haste, she tore from the alleyway and into the streets, reabsorbing her magical orb of brightness as she did so. Her breaths racked in panic as she practically flew across the cobblestone with fast traveling legs as her mind throbbed in confusion on the proper way to respond to such a situation. The fast traveling woman didn't get far, however, when she was suddenly knocked to her bottom upon slamming into a person who crossed her path.

"Ah!" Serenity's high pitched voice called out as she came in contact with the hard ground.

"Whoa there," a pleasant male voice sounded as the fallen stared into a hand extended down to help her up. "Young girls like you shouldn't be out this late on their own!" Without thinking, Serenity grabbed a hold of the hand and was pulled to her feet so quickly that the hood of her cloak fell down and settled on her shoulders. Looking up into the man's face she assessed he looked young, perhaps no older than his mid-twenties being human. His hair was short and golden and had bright blue eyes that could rival her own in hue.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered down toward her as his mouth dropped open where he gazed upon her face. "You're just so small, I didn't mean to call you a child." He whispered as his sapphire eyes brimmed with amazement. The beautiful fairy's flaxen hair shined like pale satin under the moonlit night. Her widened eyes sparkled up toward him, glossy with light from a nearby lantern attached to a building.

"I'm sorry!" She called out breathlessly and retracted her hand. Shifting to quickly dart around him she was stopped with a sudden grip onto her elbow.

"Wait!" The man called out in dismay as he gently held the girl's arm. "Are you hurt? Let me take you to get a drink of water at least." Whipping her head behind her, Serenity was half-surprised to see that the terrifying vampire was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm fine, really." The fairy turned back to the gentlemen.

"You seem upset, why were you running so fast? Is someone after you?" He asked filled with concern. When Serenity vehemently shook her head, thinking it the best way to respond the man smiled warmly.

"I guess you were just in too much of a hurry then. You know, I was just on my way to get something to eat, would you care to join me? It's the least I can do to make up for this little collision and all." The blonde man offered genuinely. The overwhelmed woman tilted her head to one side as she looked upon the man confoundedly.

"But, I ran into you, it isn't your fault." She spoke naive to the man's apparent interest in her. He put a hand behind his head and laughed nervously.

"Well if I hadn't of stepped in your way you wouldn't have fallen down! Come on, this place is great, I promise!" Before Serenity could protest she was being carted across the street, arm in arm with the amiable yet pushy young man. Turning her head back around again, she couldn't decide whether to feel afraid or relieved that the red-eyed man's presence was still unknown.

"Oh! And by the way, my name's Motoki! It's a pleasure to meet you Miss…?" The one who called himself Motoki asked hopefully. The hijacked woman hesitated, considering she should probably give a fake name to the man just in case a potential enemy may be watching.

"Bunny," she replied automatically, and inwardly cursed herself for not being quick witted enough to come up with something better on the spot. The light haired man laughed cordially.

"What a cute name. I think it suits you!" He observed producing a blush in the deceivingly young looking girl. A burst of warm air washed across Serenity's face as Motoki opened the door to the tavern they stood in front of. "After you," he indicated. Turning around to look into the night once more, she timidly stepped into the warm yet dark building.

The small restaurant was cozy with a rustic flair. There weren't too many people within the establishment at such an hour of night, ten at the most and all of them men save a solitary female waitress. When she and her friendly kidnapper entered the candle-lit building a sweep of silence overtook those who were once before jovially enjoying their food and drink with conversation. Serenity couldn't shake the feeling of their stare upon her, understanding at once she was a perfect stranger in a familiar town.

"Can I take your cloak, Bunny?" Motoki asked politely. Serenity resembled a startled doe as her eyes widened upon his question. The young man had a kind face and she was certain his intentions were genuine, but the jittery woman's first and foremost concern was escaping back to her room as quickly as possible. Trying not to show her reluctance, she delicately removed the cloak and winced under the fabric when she heard a low whistle escape from one of the men at the bar.

"Cut it out, Nezumi!" The waitress hissed as she tapped her wooden spoon against the man's hand.

"That's a very lovely dress," Motoki spoke, his cheeks tingeing with a blush as he escorted the blue dressed girl to a dim table in an isolated corner of the room. Serenity became completely red as she looked forlornly toward her black cloak that hung by the door. Sitting down gracefully across from the boy she jumped a little when he spoke.

"I hope you're hungry! Risa makes some of the best food I've ever had!" He grinned. The disguised Queen stared blankly into his face as the young human continued to speak, but she hardly registered a single word. Her thoughts were haunted by what she had observed in the dirty alley just minutes before.

Those poisonous eyes, bloody in hue were burned into the backs of her eyelids. Remembering the bite marks upon Yami's captured human caused Serenity to unconsciously grip onto the side of her neck as she imagined him making them with his perfect and deadly dagger-like teeth. What could she have done? Should she have tried to intervene between him and his nighttime meal? The way Shimon and the others regarded the mysterious vampire hadn't been lost with her, she understood at once this particular man was not one to be trifled with. She had a foretelling feeling that spending a moment longer in this little city would prove disastrous.

"What can I get you, sweetie?" The feminine voice awoke the woman from her stupor as she looked into the cheerful face of the waitress.

"I'm- really not hungry." Serenity lied, praying that her stomach wouldn't inopportunely rumble.

"Aw, c'mon!" Motoki complained playfully, "have some dessert then! My personal favorite is the cherry pie! Have some, my treat." Serenity's eyes lit up as the prospect of a sugary delight filled her attention. Oh the Gods must have been taunting her.

"It's the best in town," The waitress said with a wink. All terrified thoughts momentarily evaporated as dreams of sugary coated pastries danced within her memory.

"Ok!" She spoke, sounding a little overexcited.

"Great!" Motoki seemed delighted with Serenity's acceptance as he placed his order with the happy woman. Reality immediately honed it as the sweet-craving fairy went back to planning her escape.

'_Just one piece of pie, then back to the inn' _she bargained with herself inside her head. Maybe she had overreacted a bit, the more she thought about it Yami had never within the month of meeting him spoken a single word toward her. Perhaps she had only imagined catching his fascinated gaze on previous nights, it was arrogant of herself to think the peculiarly alluring man would even bother to concern himself with her.

"So, where are you from? I'd know it if I had seen you around here before." Motoki spoke genuinely.

"The Moon," Serenity replied automatically and screeched at her response internally. Why in hell was she so bad at this lying business? The fair haired man broke into a fit of laughter.

"Oh that's hilarious, Bunny!" He smiled in between chuckles, "The Moon sure does look lovely tonight though, almost as pretty as you are." Motoki blushed and the fairy nicknamed Bunny went pale as she finally realized what was going on here. The unsuspecting Fae Queen had been stolen, albeit politely, from the streets and was being courted by a _human_.

"Hey, Motoki!" A raucous man from the bar called out. "Come over here for a minute. We wanna chat with ya!" He finished once he caught the man's annoyed gaze. Motoki let out a sigh.

"Let me take care of these guys so they won't bother us anymore, don't go anywhere!" The blue-eyed man said as he stood from his seat and crossed the room. Uh oh. This was more than she had bargained for, how could she have been so naïve? Pie or no pie she had to get out of this mess as soon as possible. Carefully making sure she could make a stealthy escape without the poor man noticing, she slowly hovered away from her chair.

"Leaving so soon?" A deep voice rolled from across the table. Whirling around so quickly that her long streamers of hair flew in front her, she gaped at the spoken. The fairy's bottom fell back to her seat like a bag of stones as she stared with wide eyes at the most intimidating man she had ever met.

Lounging casually in what was once Motoki's seat, was the vampire she had briefly acquainted herself with earlier that evening. The intriguing man appeared amused as he tilted his head and looked toward her with a crooked smile. His appearance rivaled hers as an outsider within the town. Yami's bronze skin and oddly colored hair, upward jutting reddish-black spikes with blonde bangs falling over his eyes, labeled him an obvious foreigner in the small town.

The blood-thirsty beast she had happened upon in the alleyway was gone, and in its stead was a handsome man's inviting form. Beneath the vampire's coal jacket he wore a wine colored shirt where the top few buttons were left informally undone around his neck. Skin so golden it looked as if it were blessed beneath the sun stretched across his well defined collarbone and up toward his masculine face. His intensely crimson eyes shone enticingly upon her, looking like garnet jewels as the candle light from the table danced within them. Serenity was speechless as she gawked upon the man who had appeared out of nowhere. Releasing a low chuckle, Yami lazily flipped open a golden pocket watch and regarded it briefly before returning to her his attention.

"It's rather late for a fairy to be away from her bed," his baritone voice taunted. "Are you enjoying charming the locals?" His insinuation didn't fall on deaf ears as Serenity's quick temper overpowered her previous fear toward the statuesque man.

"I could ask you the same thing." Her fiery reply came with instant regret. She immediately felt nervous upon her flaring statement, where had that come from? Red eyes brimmed with mirth upon her.

"Well, it is certainly relevant to my interests," he countered revealing pearly white fangs in a telling grin.

"Here ya are, hun," The feminine voice startled Serenity as she quickly turned to face the waitress who placed a piece of delectable smelling cherry pie before her. Looking across the table in panic, she jolted upon seeing the vampire had disappeared. "Motoki should be right back, don't worry, the boys are sure giving him a hard time for bringing such a pretty lady in here!" She grinned as Serenity stared agape into her back as she walked away. A dark chuckle sent the woman's spinning head back again as she nearly fell out of her chair upon spying Yami had returned, again from seemingly thin air, to where he was before.

"Motoki," the vampire let the other man's name roll of his tongue, "Lovely, do I hear wedding bells?" he mocked. Serenity had seemingly forgotten her fear of the vampire, who was positively behaving like a jerk.

"I came into town to get something to eat, nothing else." She defended her honor with a frown.

"What a coincidence," Yami's eyes lit up in feigned surprise, "so did I." Serenity's stomach lurched at the thought. He smirked at her reaction and indicated, palm side up, to the confection that sat before her. "By all means, don't hold back on my account." The fairy wrinkled her nose.

" Don't let me keep you from something important." Serenity spoke, not bothering to veil the fact that she wanted him to leave.

"Hmm," The vampire spoke thoughtfully, "I can't think of a single thing that demands my time. I'm not bothering you, am I?" He voiced thickly; resting his knuckles humorously against his mouth.

"No, of course not." Serenity grumbled in fake politeness as she stabbed the pie with her fork. She nearly salivated, distracted from her annoyance, as the action expelled the delightful scent of nectarous berries laced with sugar into the air. The red syrup poured lusciously onto the plate as she lifted a piece of the light flaky crust to her mouth. As soon as the sacchariferous flavor touched her tongue, her eyes fluttered shut with an involuntary sigh. The dessert felt deliciously sticky in her mouth as she satiated her sugar craving with happy chews. A soft rumble from across the table awoke her from her trance.

Serenity's crystalline blues fell upon the vampire in surprise. His hot gaze remained unyieldingly upon her; scarlet eyes feverish in desire. The fairy shivered as an unfamiliar, yet pleasant heat spread across her delicate skin. She felt a pull from the powerful man sitting across from her, his yearning eyes beckoning to her to him like a moth drawn to a flame. Blushing upon being caught staring back at him, she quickly placed another piece of the pie into her mouth.

"Fairies are partial to sweets," her voice cracked after she finished chewing, hoping to salvage the awkwardness between them.

"Ah," he smiled as his typical arrogant expression filled his face, "perhaps that's why-" Yami paused, clicking his mouth shut as Serenity frowned back at him.

"Why we taste so good?" She asked venomously. Looking back down at the pie, the red stained plate made her stomach churn.

'_Why couldn't it have been chocolate cake?' _She whined in her head and promptly dropped the fork, her appetite completely evaporated at the revolting thought of spilled blood.

Looking up under her bangs at him, his gaze appeared briefly apologetic before immediately returning to their cool and uncaring visage.

"Roaming alone at night is not safe, _your majesty_," He scolded darkly, "There are several creatures in this area that would love to make you their dinner." Yami suddenly smirked. "Curiosity killed the cat. Weren't you informed of this when you were younger?" Serenity felt fear drop to the pit of her stomach as his mysterious dark aura extended its icy fingers toward her.

"I'm not a cat, so you needn't worry." She replied, attempting to keep her voice level. Appearing ever amused by her response the vampire leaned in closer toward her, pulling a cruel smile over his lips as he commandeered her attention. The golden blonde became very aware of her heart as it revolted violently to this situation against her ribs.

"That may be true, but if I remember correctly I believe the same rule applies for _bunnies_." He whispered huskily. Serenity gulped and blinked several times when suddenly she was again staring at an empty chair.

"Sorry about that," Serenity gripped onto her chair as Motoki sat down in the vacant seat across from her, setting a plate of food before him. "How's the pie? Isn't it the best?" The young man asked with a smile. Darting her eyes to the plate before her, she cringed as she saw nothing but the memory of bite marks and a bloody massacre on the syrupy surface. With the vampire's warning of other creatures lurking fresh on her mind she quickly stood from her seat.

"Bunny?" Motoki asked in concern.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to leave now!" She all but stuttered and quickly made way to the door. Yet again, she was abruptly halted when she felt his hand latch onto her elbow.

"Wait!" Motoki pled with panic stricken eyes. "Please don't leave! Will I ever see you again?" His gaze poured obsessively over her as Serenity looked in shock upon him.

"I have to go," she said sternly, attempting to yank her arm back and was further stunned when he refused to let go.

"Please, just stay for a few more minutes." The young man begged and moved his eyes away from her, contorting his face in displeasure when a heavy hand fell gently upon Serenity's shoulder from behind.

"Bunny, there you are! Thank the Gods I thought I'd never find you," A deep and pleasant voice announced. Turning to look over her shoulder she caught Yami's glinting eyes briefly as he paid her with a small smirk before focusing gaze upon Motoki, who stood a few inches taller than he.

"I owe you my gratitude for finding her. She and I were just passing through here tonight and I'm afraid we were separated." The vampire seemed like a completely different person as he lied, sounding perfectly genuine as he spoke to the fair haired man. Motoki narrowed his eyes in scrutiny upon his statement.

"You know him, Bunny?" The human asked suspiciously. Vigorously nodding her head, Motoki appeared absolutely heartbroken. Yami's red eyes focused on where Motoki's hand was still latched to her arm.

"You can let go now," he ordered, his tone beginning to exit the boundaries of politeness. The man seemed reluctant to comply as he slowly released his grip. Serenity felt herself nearly swept off her feet as the vampire's arm snaked around her waist and brought her slender form against him possessively. She nearly melted into his warm and solid body, feeling oddly secure under the protection of such a precarious creature.

"Didn't your mother teach you to never touch a woman without her permission?" Yami provoked as a wicked closed-mouth smile spread across his face. "Especially one who belongs to another." Serenity went red at his suggestion on their association. Motoki frowned as some of the men behind him stood from the bar.

"Is there a problem here, Motoki?" One of the patrons asked. Yami chuckled softly.

"No problem, gentlemen," he spoke regally. Reaching into his pocket, he flipped a purely gold coin toward Motoki to which he promptly caught. "This should be more than enough to take care of everything." The vampire spoke arrogantly. Motoki's eyes went wide upon the valuable object and whispers filled the once silent room. Without a moments more hesitation, Yami relinquished his arm from Serenity and opened the nearby door, indicating for Serenity to walk out ahead of him. Before either had a chance to step outside a loud clang rung in the Queen's ear as the gold coin was flung into the wall just beyond where she stood. Ever so slowly, the frowning vampire turned to look over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes dangerously upon the angry man.

"Don't come back in here, again. You're not welcome, if you do come back we'll be forced to _remove _you." Motoki snapped bitterly. Serenity's eyes went wide upon the absolute aggressive turn in the once kind appearing man's nature. Yami's red eyes gleamed promisingly toward the man as he stared him down.

"Be careful who you threaten. One of these days someone may call your bluff." The vampire all but growled. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief as both she and Yami stepped out of the tense room and into the chilly night with the door slammed behind them.

* * *

><p>I had planned on this only being a one-shot but because I have a billion things to do this weekend I'm going to post it as a part one and part two! (woo! Two-shot!)<p>

So this is set 1,000 before the start of "The Ostiary" as mentioned at the top. Did I overload you all too much with details, repeat too much? Although these are the same characters they were very different people/had different thoughts about the other than they did when they all first met so hopefully you didn't find it all boring! And you may have noticed I mentioned the name of one character who hasn't been yet mentioned in the main story (Blue Eyes White Dragon!)

Like Serenity, I've been craving sweets lately! (Currently dieting, its brutal)!

Also I think the tone of this side-story was all over the place, being ominous, sad, humorous, etc. I guess Serenity is just a complicated character going through a lot of different feelings right now and she clearly has no idea what to think about Yami being incredibly attractive to her, scary at times, and has his moments where he's being a jerk! Hmmm...

The next chapter will be all Serenity and Yami...;)

Thanks for reading!

~Kochou-hime


	2. Part 2

Guilty of Being Innocent

_A Side Story to "The Ostiary"_

Kochou-hime

**All characters belong to their respective owners.**

_A.N: This story is set 1,000 years prior to the beginning of "The Ostiary" during which Serenity and company have begun their mission to defeat Zorc and his terrorizing of the Earth._

* * *

><p>Serenity's heart was beating a mile a minute despite her efforts to calm down. She kept her eyes squarely on the ground as she walked alongside the mysterious vampire in silence, drawing in deep steadying breaths in an attempt to feign a cool demeanor. Although he had, not so subtly, rescued her from a forced rendezvous with Motoki she still recognized that taking a leisurely stroll <em>alone <em>with a vampire was not in a fairy's best interests. Swallowing hard, she contemplated running, or flying even, as fast as she possibly could back to the inn as if hiding would do anything to assuage the situation. A dark chuckle shook the woman from her thoughts and prompted her to glance up toward the man who had made the sound.

Yami's eyes smoldered toward her seemingly glinting with mirth upon her apparent nervousness. His square jaw reflected his amusement as she could tell he was fighting off laughter while he was looking down at her. Just as she wondered if the powerful man could possibly be reading her thoughts he suddenly looked away from her, sharing soft chuckles only to himself. Turning her head away to conceal her blush, she cursed the awkward situation and ordered herself to speak to him immediately.

"Do all humans act like that?" Serenity blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"In what way?" Yami's voice rumbled softly. He arched a brow in question and brandished an attractive smirk. Focusing on the sounds of their quiet footsteps as she gathered her thoughts, she drew in a deep breath.

"Although at first I couldn't sense a single bad intention from Motoki, when I tried to leave he acted very possessive as if no wasn't an acceptable answer. His behavior seemed strange to me." She clarified, pondering on the situation to herself curiously.

"In the presence of the right woman, sometimes even the most noble man cannot help but," Yami paused, looking ahead of himself he stretched his smirk into a wide grin, "_misbehave_." Although his explanation seemed innocent enough something in the tone of his voice sent a tremor throughout her body.

"I have a hunch your friend has never encountered another as beautiful as you, so perhaps you can forgive his temporary madness?" The vampire suggested coyly. Serenity flushed red and immediately threw her gaze to the ground. Unless her ears were playing tricks on her, she very distinctly heard the dangerous man admit he found _her_ beautiful. Perhaps she was going mad.

"You can sense malevolent intentions in others, you say?" Yami thankfully changed the subject as he looked upon her curiously. Settling herself enough to look at him she nodded.

"Yes, for the most part. Those who intend to lie or harm have cloudy auras." She explained.

"That is quite the useful ability," Yami complimented in baritone, "So tell me, what are my intentions?" Serenity's limbs stiffened as she quickly tore her eyes away from his smirking face.

"Your aura isn't cloudy," she assessed after a short pause, "it's completely black." The words felt icy as they left her mouth. "So I cannot answer." Serenity commanded her voice to be steady although it bordered trembling.

"Hmm," the dark man hummed aloud as his footsteps came to a stop. The Fairy Queen too brought her feet to a halt just in front of him. Sucking in a deep breath she inwardly found the courage to turn around to look at him. Her dress twirled around with her strands of silken hair, blowing gently in the light breeze as she scrutinized the enigmatic man before her. Yet again she had a hard time believing he was capable of the monstrous things attributed to his race as her eyes filled with his appealing form. He stood tall against the dimly lit city, hands tucked carelessly into the pockets of his opened jacket that's collar grazed the bottom of his jaw. Wearing a crooked smile, he appeared to nearly blend into the night's darkness with the sole exception of his ethereal crimson hued irises that were almost an entirely different entity of their very own.

"Do you believe I have harmful intentions for _you_?" Yami's quiet question was simple, yet armed with an entire arsenal of implications. The look she had seen him give her on previous nights was back once more. But this time she noticed his normally cool gaze was electrified with fascination as if she had gone from insignificant to the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

Of course he had bad intentions for her, right? He was a vampire and as far as he and his kind were concerned she was nothing more than food, maybe dinner or some mid-evening snack to cure boredom. But the truth seemed to be different than she was taught to understand it. Despite his persona being so obscure that she could hardly get a read on him, he left her feeling peculiarly unthreatened. It went against all of her rational thoughts but upon being forced to take a moment to study him, it was as if he devoted the dark powers that embraced every inch of him to shielding her from harm. Perhaps this was some sort of trick, vampires were notorious for fooling their prey into trusting them, yet, some small place within her begged her to give him her faith, while all the others pled for her to run away as fast as she could. She wet her rose colored lips as a foggy breath of air escaped her mouth.

"No," she spoke strangely feeling confident in her answer. Yami's smirk grew and suddenly in one large step he closed the space between them. Dipping his head down alongside her ear she felt the wisps of his yellow bangs brush across her skin.

"Then why are you so nervous?" He whispered gruffly.

_Badump…badump._

The sound of Serenity's heartbeat rung in her ears as her heart roared against her chest. Her voice became trapped within her throat upon the sound of a sudden growl from the looming man.

"Damn it," Yami cursed lowly. Before the fairy had time to react she was suddenly swept from her feet and from the street. Confusion followed the darkness that filled her line of sight before she finally registered she was within an alley just off the main road…standing, no, _held_ against somethingwarm. Serenity's eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and turning her head she looked into the lapel of a dark jacket. The feel of Yami's solid torso against her bare back was impossibly torrid and pleasant considering the night's temperature.

'Wait, aren't vampires supposed to be cold?' Serenity thought to herself as her eyes drifted down to where his hand was secured onto her hip and holding her to him. The surprising maneuver shielded them within shadows of the alley away from anyone traveling the street. Snapping her gaze up to his face, she demanded an explanation with her wide eyes. Yami turned away from where he watched the street and regarded her with a mischievous wink before turning back to the alley's opening.

The sound of idle conversation drifted into the quiet night preceding the appearance of three figures passing in front of the space where she and the vampire were concealed in the shadows. Serenity blinked upon a sense of familiarity. A woman with wavy auburn hair, cut short just above her shoulders was speaking to two men, frantically. The small fairy jolted in surprise as she recognized the woman to be the one she had observed Yami…well, _engaged _with earlier that evening.

"Please sirs, I've been separated from my beloved; will you help me find him?" The woman pled.

"Oh, Naru," one of the men sighed. "You crazy girl, have ya been whoring yourself out again?"

"No!" The woman cried, becoming red in the face and making fists at her sides. "He is my lover, and a better one than you'd ever be!" Naru defended haughtily as she thrust her nose into the air.

"Aw, cut it out with the insults. You want our help. Who is he? We'll help you find him." The other man spoke up. With a _hmph_ Naru opened her mouth but then paused, tilting her head to one side in thought.

"I-" she stuttered, "I don't remember his name." She continued. The two men exchanged looks.

"Well, uh, what does he look like?"

"Oh, he's _very _handsome, probably the most attractive man I've ever seen," she bragged as a blush crossed her cheeks. "And a very generous lover, of course." She grinned with a deeper blush, but the smile quickly faded. "I cannot for the life of me remember what he looks like though, what's wrong with me?" Naru appeared upset as the two men, once again, wearily caught the other's gaze.

Serenity felt as if she was on fire. As if being trapped against a beautiful monster wasn't nerve racking enough she was eavesdropping on _this_ conversation throughout the whole ordeal. The fairy's face was fully flushed as she knew almost without a doubt Yami was the one this woman was referring to, but did she really not recall him biting her? Surely that couldn't have been pleasant. In fact, how was she even _alive_?

"Naru, you are crazy. Let's get you home." And although the girl protested, one of the men linked arms with her and led her away from sight.

After several moments, Yami retracted his hand and Serenity immediately stepped away from him. About facing to look at him her face filled with utter perplexity.

"That was the woman I-" Serenity paused, "saw you with earlier." With a slow nod, Yami raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "But, she's-"

"Alive?" Yami supplied with a small smirk. "The older a vampire gets the less and less blood they require to sustain themselves." He explained as he indicated she leave the alley into the dimly lit street before him. "For me just a _taste_ is sufficient." His red eyes were amused upon her as she looked at him confoundedly.

"She seemed quite taken with you," Serenity fought back a blush, "even after you-" not wanting to say the words aloud she grabbed the nape of her neck as an uncomfortable expression spread across her features.

"Ah," Yami laughed lightly as the two strolled along the now quiet streets, "For obvious reasons its important vampires and their activities remain unknown to humans, so I merely replaced her memories with a more-" he paused to grin down at her, "_pleasant _encounter, though she remembers nothing more about me than that." Serenity's mouth fell agape in astonishment, just as her cheeks tinged pink from his suggestive insinuation.

"Vampires can alter memories?" She whispered in amazement. Yami momentarily burst in to chuckles as he smirked toward the petite woman.

"Can all fairies create new worlds?" he asked nodding toward the Moon that was only half visible in the dark sky. Looking up to it Serenity's eyes swelled with emotion.

"No," she replied softly. "Only my mother had the power to do that, and perhaps, well," Serenity delicately bit onto her bottom lip, "I have that power also."

"Those of my kind are just as different as you and I," Yami's rich voice rang toward her, "As far as I know only I retain this ability, among a few others." He alluded with a wicked grin.

"I guess I had just assumed vampires killed everything they bite," The Fae Queen spoke somewhat sheepishly. A cold wind abruptly blew across her pale skin, instantly reminding her of her abandoned cloak. Before Serenity moved to cross her arms in front of her, she felt warmth at her back. Yami held his relinquished coat behind her and diligently guided her shivering arms into the sleeves. Though the long jacket swallowed her, it felt incredible against her chilled body.

"Thank you," Serenity breathed.

"Perhaps I'm not as atrocious as you once believed?" Yami asked playfully as he leaned down to fasten the buttons on the coat. Just as his nimble fingers reached the top button, he paused to gaze into her shining blue orbs. Their faces merely inches apart, her mouth tugged slowly into an unconscious smile as she looked sincerely into his stunning stare. Blinking upon her reaction in surprise, he stood, almost reluctantly, to his full height which was several inches taller than she.

"I hadn't realized we left without retrieving your cloak, we can go back and get it if you'd like." He quickly changed the subject.

"It isn't important," Serenity spoke, inwardly fearing facing the tavern dwellers once more. "Are you sure you're not cold?" If it was even possible, Yami looked even more remarkable with less clothing. His long sleeved button-up fit snugly against the hard lines of his body where its crimson color rivaled his piercing gaze. Regaining his relaxed composure he flashed a quick and cavalier smile.

"I never am," he spoke coolly. Before they began walking once more the vampire suddenly released an audible sigh.

"Do you always attract so much trouble?" He teased with a smirk. Looking toward him questionably, she was yet again swept from her feet in a flash. The destination, however, had changed as Yami's feet quietly made contact with the roof of a nearby building. She threw her arms frantically around his neck as she looked down to the ground below, momentarily forgetting that she could in fact, _fly_. The vampire hummed amusedly as he gently put the girl on her feet and grinned as his eyes drifted to her appendages that clung on to him for dear life. Snatching her arms away she nearly tumbled off the angled surface saved by a lightning fast arm that caught her at her waist.

"Are all fairies as clumsy as you?" Yami laughed as the girl sent him an annoyed glare.

"Why did you bring me up here?" She demanded, sounding very much like a spoiled royal. His eyes gleamed in amusement as he held her steady against his arm.

"It seems you've made quite the impression on the locals." The vampire nodded toward the ground where a group of at least ten men gathered carrying torches. Serenity forgot her indignation as her eyes widened upon one of the men with blonde hair.

"I thought you said you saw someone over here!" The man condemned with a cry.

"I'm sorry Motoki; I guess the night was playing tricks on my vision." Another man replied. "Are you sure this man is really dangerous? It is getting awful late."

"I'm almost sure of it. He's the only stranger that's been seen in town and you saw how strange Naru was behaving, right?" The tall blonde defended.

"Black magic if I've ever seen it," a portly individual commented with a pitied shake of his head.

"And what of the girl? The visitor you were friendly with earlier this evening?" A different member of the group questioned suspiciously.

"_Her _name is Bunny," Motoki snapped back, "And someone as sweet as her couldn't be involved in such malicious sorcery."

"I watched her leave with him with my own eyes, just as you did." The other man argued. Motoki haughtily shuffled his feet.

"He must have her under his spell; I suspect he's keeping her as his captive!" Relighting his torch, Motoki once again began walking. "We have to rescue her from him; if he isn't stopped all of the women in this town could end up delusional like Naru!" Serenity watched on in horror as the men once again began spreading out. Gasping in a cold breath of air she turned her distraught gaze to the man who secured his arm lazily around her hip.

"I've made an impression?" She spoke accusingly, "It looks like they're after you for what you did to that woman." The fairy assessed. Glaring upon her statement, the vampire's annoyed expression quickly shifted to one of sheer amusement.

"As usual, altering one's memories is hardly worth the effort," Yami remarked as he grinned down toward her. "Though I have a strong suspicion that if your friend wasn't so mesmerized by you he wouldn't have bothered rounding up a search party in the first place." Serenity found herself unable to respond as she fidgeted under his arm.

"But I didn't-" Her voice paused as her eyes locked onto his revealing stare. His head was tilted to one side, examining her curiously. The vampire's blood-red orbs were half-lidded as they radiated with purely seductive intentions. The petite woman froze, utterly hypnotized by his gaze that was like a serpent's focused squarely on entrancing its prey. Willing herself to blink, Serenity took a small step backwards.

"Perhaps I should go," she muttered, but when she moved to take another step the man's solid arm didn't yield. In one swift movement, the vampire's hasty hands were around her midsection leaving only a few heated inches between their very different bodies. Shuttering at the sight of his fangs, she moved her attention back to his gleaming eyes that were mercilessly laughing at her.

"Didn't you hear what Motoki told them?" The vampire whispered as the tip of his nose brushed against hers. "Apparently, I've taken you as my prisoner." The wicked words rolled off his tongue. Serenity's breath hitched as she squirmed against his steely hold.

"Queen Serenity as _my _captive? What a tempting prospect," Yami mused as he flashed a widened smile. "Whatever shall I do with her?"

The flaxen haired woman felt dizzy, as his words startled the air from her lungs. The heat escaping his mouth felt fiery against her close and freezing lips and inwardly she spewed curses for allowing herself to trust this villainous man for even a moment's time. Just as the trapped fairy was sure he was moving to attack her vulnerable neck, he suddenly pulled away only loosely keeping his fingers at her hips.

"I think I should escort her home, because it's far too late and dangerous for _this _fairy to be fraternizing with humans or anything else that might be waiting to make her acquaintance." Yami winked as he answered his own inquiry. Serenity's apprehension quickly blazed with anger as she tore away from him and leapt to the ground, caring not if the impact damaged her heeled shoes. With her pointed heels thankfully still intact she stomped toward the streets and tried to ignore Yami's laughs as he quickly appeared at her side.

How dare he? Serenity's thoughts jumbled furiously at the vampire's apparent hilarity. She had been nothing but accepting to this man despite his kind's deplorable reputation and yet he ruthlessly taunted her finding amusement in playing upon her fright. Tossing him her stormy gaze, she frowned.

"You can leave now, I'm not helpless, you know." She grumbled as the vampire's chuckles became quieter.

"I never implied that you were. However," Yami spoke smoothly, "seeing that you're supposed to _save_ us all it wouldn't be wise to risk your safety, don't you agree?" Serenity felt another spike of fury at the man's sarcastic tone. "Although at first I was skeptical in Shimon's unyielding faith in you, I think I'm beginning to be a believer myself."

The hidden compliment caught Serenity's attention as she briefly regarded him where he strolled alongside of her. Sounds of footsteps hurriedly interrupted her thoughts as both she and her companion ducked into the shadows of an alley, this time on her own accord without having to be carried away. As one of the torch bearing search partiers wearily passed by, Yami rolled his eyes and he crossed his arms against his chest leaning against the cold building's wall.

"More trouble than it's worth." He grumbled quietly to himself.

"What do you mean?" Serenity asked as they began traveling the street once more. "Their searching for us may be troublesome but how else can you conceal your identity without altering one's memory?" She asked naively. The vampire cleared his throat as he lifted a scrutinizing brow upon her. A dark realization converged upon the peace loving fairy as she turned her gaze away from him.

"Oh," she responded quietly. Her stomach churned upon the unpleasant thought, he would have killed the auburn haired human if she hadn't of stumbled on them. The uneasiness swimming within the blonde simmered into a surge of passion that threatened upon her tongue.

"So you see it fit to destroy innocent lives for the sake of convenience?" Serenity demanded hotly turning her glare upon him. "Then you are as terrible as I imagined you to be." She spoke coldly, surprising herself with such words. Yami balked at the statement, as if the harsh assessment physically stung.

The fairy felt unsettling tears well at the base of eyes as she looked at the self proclaimed man-killer. She couldn't understand how creatures like him considered killing so casually, when she recognized every form of life to be sacred. Zorc hadn't taken any heed to how precious the existence of her parents truly were when he destroyed them, and she had a hard time convincing herself that this vampire was all that different. The Queen swallowed hard but failed to relieve the lump in her throat.

"Don't look at me like that," Yami ordered gruffly seemingly disturbed by her judgmental scrutiny. "The woman they call Naru is nothing more than the town's resident whore, and hardly an _innocent _one at that." The man defended.

"And you know this how?" Serenity questioned suspiciously.

"I have my ways," The vampire alluded mysteriously. Crossing her arms and turning away from him, the fairy huffed.

"Although not proper, being a prostitute is still not deserving of being killed." Serenity said.

"No man is truly innocent, regardless of their profession." Yami spoke darkly, once again earning the distressed woman's gaze. "Within the hearts of every man, woman and child resides darkness. At any opportune moment this dark center can be called upon to fulfill their selfish desires through any means necessary whether it be to lie, maim or kill." The vampire's eyes hardened upon her, looking like glossy red marbles in the night.

"And when you play the game of darkness…" The man with tri-colored hair trailed ominously, "you play by the shadows' rules. You win or lose, and if you're the loser," A small smirk pulled across his face at the thought. "You lose _everything_." Serenity's mouth hung open in response to the unfamiliar concept.

"A game of darkness," the fairy whispered, "life isn't a game." She argued.

"Isn't it though? The world is filled with so many beings, one competing against another." He mused while regarding her with a side glance. "But eventually there can only be one champion. One who's better at playing the game than all the others." He wore his crooked smile suggestively as Serenity could only stare in bewilderment.

"Are you speaking of, that demon?" Serenity asked with a frown. Yami's face became granite-like at the creature's mention.

"Zorc may have the upper hand for now, but I assure you, he won't prevail. Not while I'm around." The tan skinned man spoke promisingly through clenched teeth and balled fists at his side. It became suddenly obvious to the royal fairy that Yami's plight against the dark demon was well within the personal realm. At least they had that in common.

"I'll tell you what," Yami spoke again after several moments of silence between the pair. "Let's make an arrangement." The man suggested catching a glimpse of Serenity's curios eyes. "Seeing as you're so distraught over me killing people, I won't kill anyone else unless, of course, it's _necessary_," the vampire emphasized, "if-"

"If?" Serenity queried; her eyebrows piquing in interest.

"The next time and every time you decide to go gallivanting into the night alone you'll allow me to accompany you." He grinned. "I vow to keep this promise for at least as long as you'll be gracing us with your presence on our humble planet. Of course, only if you keep up your end of the bargain." Catching herself from immediately agreeing, she raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"And what of your friend, Bakura?" She asked slyly.

"Hmmm," the vampire hummed amusedly, "he'll refrain also, unless it's necessary, of course."

"He allows you to make promises on his behalf?" Serenity asked playfully, feeling much cheerier with the vampire's proposal.

"You would be surprised how cooperative he can actually be," Yami answered with a light chuckle, "And besides, according to that treaty Shimon had us sign I am the _King_, that has to command some level of obedience from him, no?" The vampire joked eliciting a smile from the beautiful blonde.

"Yes, that's correct." She giggled with a nod of her head. His eyes sparkled on her wondrously as a small true smile appeared and quickly was replaced with a smirk on his face.

"Then we have a deal?" Yami asked in baritone. Pausing in his steps he extended his hand toward Serenity, who looked upon the appendage in confusion. "All official pacts are sealed with a handshake." The vampire sang teasingly. Touching her hand to his she looked toward him with bright blue eyes.

"Agreed." She confirmed with a smile. Her mouth dropped open slightly when the taller man slowly brought the top of her hand to his warm lips. Their delicate brush across her skin left behind a tingling sensation that started from her hand and sailed across her entire body.

"Lovely," Yami articulated as he gently released the trembling extremity. Quickly shaking the peculiar feeling Yami left with her, she rushed to change the subject as the inn was finally visible from the abandoned streets.

"I guess I'll have to keep in mind what you said about this all being a dark game," Serenity voiced aloud, "Just by being here those rules apply to me too."

"No," Yami suddenly replied, "there is no darkness within you, not even the tiniest presence." He explained as he studied her small form. "Yes, I believe you're the _only _creature with such a quality I've ever come across."

"Really?" Serenity scrunched her nose feeling that to be strange. "Only me? What does that mean?"

"It means the only wrongdoing you've ever been guilty of is being innocent." The alluring vampire charmed. Serenity blushed and quickly turned away from him to conceal it. Was that even a compliment? A statement of fact, perhaps? Thinking such a statement implied she was childish and weak she stuck her nose into the air.

"I'm not that innocent, at least not completely," Serenity quickly disagreed.

"Is that so?" The vampire challenged flashing her a mouthful of his gleaming white fangs, "convince me."

"Uh-" Serenity stuttered under his impure gaze.

"Just tell me about one misdeed," he abruptly laughed. "Just one."

"Alright," she replied and began searching her mind. After a few moments she inwardly reprimanded herself. Was her memory really this terrible? Surely she could think of something. Musing back to all the mischief she got into when she was a child, she decided relaying such an event would not do. If she was going to be convincing she had to come up with something that was truly formidable for her argument and a particular memory suddenly lit up in her mind.

"While I'm not proud of this," Serenity suddenly spoke up. "When I was about 52 or so I allowed a Duke to kiss me during one of his visits to the Moon Palace." Silence followed her statement prompting the woman to send the other her triumphant gaze. She pouted upon noticing the enigmatic vampire was fighting to hold back a smile.

"Oh my," he commented in feigned alarm. "If you could clarify, what about that is so terrible?" His mischievous eyes glinted toward her questioningly. The petite fairy blinked.

"Well he hadn't obtained permission to court me, making the encounter imprudent." She admitted abashedly. At this, Yami doubled over in laughter unable to contain his hilarity any longer. Turning away from him she flushed in embarrassment.

"And who should a suitor contact to obtain such permission, if one was interested in courting you now, that is?" Yami asked casually still unable to conceal the wide grin on his face.

"Why?" Serenity snapped defensively. Although mortified she hid it behind an angry stare.

"Just curious," The vampire responded in a sing-song tone.

"No one, other than me, I guess." Serenity responded with a shrug, her parents were gone now and as the Queen she supposed she was finally in the position to be making her own decisions on such matters. She looked toward the inn as they slowly approached, begging for this encounter, that had been unbelievably awkward, to finally come to an end.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll retain my previous assessment of your innocence," Yami grinned, "I don't think you have it in you to harm a fly." He said with a small smile.

"I would never!" Serenity responded indignantly earning yet another chuckle from the taller man.

"You're very different from your cousin." The red eyed vampire commented idly.

"What do you mean?" The fairy asked.

"She doesn't have the same reservations as you as she's been entertaining Bakura's nightly company for the past week or so." He revealed with a smirk. Serenity's eyes widened.

"Bakura?" She said the name aloud as she tilted her head questioningly toward the vampire.

"I'm assuming she hadn't shared that information, my mistake." Yami spoke, again baring a wicked smirk across his face.

"But why would she-" Serenity paused as she recalled Mina's casual statement from earlier this evening. The poor girl almost fell over as she considered what that vampire was implying.

"I-uh-um," Serenity spoke turning her bright red face away. "He's wouldn't, hurt her or anything, right?" The fairy stumbled over her words. She winced upon Yami's chuckle although she dared not to look at him.

"My guess is that he'd be doing quite the opposite." The vampire announced shamelessly. Her mind squealed, as she was helpless to fight away her obvious embarrassment toward this situation.

'Oh, Mina!' Serenity screamed to herself within her head, 'You-you little...' Flashing the vampire a forced grin she rubbed her arms.

"You know its really freezing, perhaps we should hurry back to the inn I wouldn't want to catch a cold!" She spoke with fake chuckles. Seemingly ignorant to her request, the vampire smirked down on her.

"I like you." He said suddenly tilting his head as his humored orbs studied her curiously. Serenity's mouth fell slightly agape and promptly closed upon her swallowing hard.

"That's a odd thing to say to someone." Serenity replied quietly.

"I'd say so," his rich voice traveled toward her pleasantly, "I don't believe I've ever _liked anyone_ before." The vampire spoke contemplatively. Brandishing her a crooked smile he nodded ahead of them. "Here we are, now you can go on safe to your warm bed." His crimson hued irises lit up on her as the fairy turned her attention to the building in relief. With his strange statement still fresh on her mind she turned to look up at him.

"Thank you for escorting me back here," Serenity spoke, "I hope I haven't caused too much trouble for you." As her thoughts rolled back to the the search party looking for them, a sudden worry drifted to the front of her mind.

"You don't think they'll come looking for me here, do you?" She asked concernedly. "Perhaps maybe Mina and I should go somewhere else." The Queen voiced her thoughts aloud.

"No," Yami replied coolly, "The both of you will be safe here." He said matter of factly.

"How can you be sure?" She wore her expression pensively by lighting biting onto her bottom lip.

"Just a hunch," The vampire half-smiled. "But to give you a piece of mind I'll keep an eye out around here." Serenity's eyes lit up hopefully.

"Are you sure that's alright? I'm sure there's more interesting things you'd like to do with your time." Yami rolled his tongue across his teeth in a manner that made her feel very peculiar.

"For you, its no trouble at all." Yami's reply rang with relish. Nodding in appreciation, Serenity reached for the top button of the borrowed jacket and paused when his warm hand fell upon hers against her collarbone.

"Why don't you hold on to it, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again. You can give it back to me later." His low voice suggested in a whisper.

Blinking as she looked into his spectacular colored eyes, it took her a few moments to register how close he was standing to her. The heat of the alluring man's body traveled toward her as if it were a sea of flames, which was indescribably pleasant in the cold night's air. Time seemed to fall still. All of her present worries fluttered away as she couldn't help but enjoy basking in this precarious man's presence who invoked a feeling in her that banished away all of her rational thoughts. Her dizzied trance was abruptly interrupted when he pulled his mouth into a lopsided smile.

"I'm going to kiss you now," Yami stated rather than asked, Serenity's eyes widened in surprise. "Normally I'd be a gentleman and ask permission, but I think you would say no." His voice was gruff and quiet.

Before the royal could even contemplate protesting his lips softly came in contact with hers. Letting his hands drift down to her waist, Serenity became gratifyingly helpless in his arms. Although she had thought she'd be crazy to get anywhere near those wicked teeth of his the sensation of his mouth against hers was heart stoppingly phenomenal. Her shocked eyes became half-lidded and finally surrendered as they fluttered shut. Serenity savored the pleasing warmth traveling amongst her leaving every inch of her body feeling absolutely incredible. Just as she found herself wishing such a feeling would never leave her, they parted. With a great gasp of air the fairy focused her brilliant blue eyes upon him in a daze. His astonished ruby red orbs simmered on her, widened as if something had caught him by surprise. With pink tinged cheeks Serenity wet her lips that were full and brighter in color from the encounter.

"Good-goodnight," Serenity spoke breathlessly, hurriedly turning and entering the building without looking back.

She made her way through the quiet inn's hallway bewilderedly, still not forming any clear thoughts as she focused on the tingle that swarmed throughout her petite form. The unsteady woman paused to apply her hand upon a wall. Her legs were wobbly, as if they had been turned into her favorite apricot jam in response to such a feeling of ecstasy that vampire's kiss had left with her. With a shake of her head in an attempt to regain her senses, she noticed a dim light coming from under Mina's door in the dark hallway. Remembering what had been not so innocently revealed to her earlier she crinkled her nose and made way to the bedroom's entrance. Stopping at the tall wooden door she quickly rapped her knuckles on its surface.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd come through the-" Mina paused as she looked shocked into Serenity's narrowed gaze in the now open doorway. "Door." The royal cousin finished as she pursed her lips nervously. "Bunny, why are you up so late?" Mina quickly put on a grin as she looked toward the shorter woman. The visitor passed her gaze over Mina's clothing. She donned a short blue dress with strappy heels and her golden hair was perfectly combed over her shoulders. Glaring into her glossed lips, Serenity resembled Yami as she raised an inquisitive brow.

"You look lovely Mina," The Queen spoke, "Are you going somewhere? I thought you were tired." Serenity accused. Her cousin let out a few fake laughs.

"Oh, you know me! Beauty never stops even when I sleep." She grinned. "What are you doing up? Where did you get that coat?" Mina attempted to direct the subject away from her. Serenity leaned in and narrowed her eyes in scrutiny.

"Or _maybe _you're waiting for a visitor." Serenity suggested earning a nervous chuckle. "A certain _charming_ white haired _vampire_,perhaps?" Mina nearly tumbled over as her blue eyes widened on the cross examining woman in disbelief.

"I, um, well-" she stuttered as Serenity put her hands on her hips. "Oh don't be mad! He really _is_ sweet." The Queen drew in a deep breath as she scrutinized her sheepish cousin.

"Slut!" She said excitedly and quickly shut the door as she bolted into the hallway. With a groan, Mina let her forehead come in contact with the door.

Ducking into her bedroom Serenity couldn't help but burst into laughter as she leaned her back against the closed door. This whole evening had been utterly ridiculous, she had snuck out of her room only to be scared out of her wits, inadvertently kidnapped, and rescued by a terrifying _vampire _of all people who very peculiarly left her feeling like jelly after an extraordinary farewell kiss. The whole ordeal made it seem like Mina and Bakura's ongoing affair was hardly important.

"And all of this for a piece of cake." Serenity shook her head and noticed for the first time a mid-sized white box sitting on the room's desk. Moving toward it wearily, a sweet smell tantalized her senses. A note with her name penned beautifully sitting on the box caught her eye as she plucked it from its surface. Her silvery blue eyes fluttered across its contents in wonder.

_A sweet tooth should never go unattended to. Trust me._

_Yami_

Looking toward the window, she confirmed it to be closed and looked back to the note. How had he delivered this so quickly, and without a trace of him being here? Looking down to the box she carefully opened it and her eyes widened happily upon an entire, lusciously chocolate cake. She squealed happily and rushed to obtain a slice with the few pieces of cutlery and plates she had within the room. Collapsing exhaustively into the desk's chair she happily placed a delicious bite into her mouth. With a pleased sigh Serenity stared at the cake upon her plate. How had he known it was her favorite. Shrugging, she took another bite and turned her eyes to the glass window and looked into the dark night.

"I guess you were right, Yami," She said to herself with a smile. "You're not all that bad after all!" The fairy mused as she happily continued relishing in her gifted confection.

* * *

><p>A pair of revering red eyes stared upon the quiet inn in wonderment as their owner perched against a tree in the nearby woods. With a vampire worthy smirk, Yami moved his thumb softly against his lips as he stared toward the quaint building in utter fascination. Finally tilting his head away, he shifted his gaze just behind him.<p>

"You can stop eavesdropping now." His baritone voice ordered coolly. A rustling in the brush followed.

"Perhaps I'm not as atrocious as you once believed?" A different masculine voice mocked Yami's words as Bakura, who donned a long black jacket, walked up alongside the other vampire. His hair was wild like Yami's, only much longer with purely white spikes.

"I was on my way to pay Mina a little visit and what do I behold? You entertaining a fairy also but not just _any _fairy." Bakura grinned revealing his sharp incisors. "But the _Queen _herself." Yami turned his red eyes upon the other amusedly.

"Very interesting. I wonder what she'll think of you when she finds out just how _monstrous _you really are." The white haired man taunted. Yami merely smirked.

"I guess only time will tell." He spoke mysteriously. Bakura scowled as he lifted his upper lip into a snarl.

"I also heard that little promise you made her on the behalf of both of us." The brown eyed man snapped.

"Good," Yami rumbled, "You've already heard. Now I don't have to explain." Bakura grit his sharp teeth.

"You can't make me do anything! I didn't obey to you when I was human and I'm most certainly not going to do it now!" He roared. Holding his angular jaw firmly, the Vampire King's gaze hardened upon his companion.

"I can't?" He asked darkly. "Is that a challenge?" Yami's voice range wickedly as the prospect brought a grin to his once serious expression. Cursing to himself, Bakura sighed in defeat.

"Fine!" Bakura barked. "But one of these days, oh King of Games, I will beat you." He promised. "It may not be today, and it may not be fair, but I _will_ beat you." Yami nodded and looked as if he enjoyed the other man's vocal submission.

"Well, I have other matters to attend to," Bakura spoke wickedly as he walked and stood in front of the shorter man. "What will you be doing tonight? Pining over your perfect fairy while I enjoy ravishing one?" The man's dark eyes laughed as he earned a dangerous growl from the other.

"No," Yami spoke coldly. "There's this, human, out looking for me."

"So?" Bakura shrugged, already knowing about the town's search party.

"Well, I think I hate him." The red shirted man assessed as his mouth fell into a deep frown.

"Why?" The white haired vampire asked with a shrug. Yami rolled his eyes.

"Do I need a reason?" He asked gruffly.

"While I share your enjoyment in massacre, most _normal_ people have reasons for their hatred." Bakura pointed out. Yami's crimson eyes lit up as he brandished a sudden grin.

"Call it a conflict of interest, then." The vampire answered. "I think I'll pay him a little visit before the night is through." Bakura smirked as he stuck a halting finger into the air.

"Ah, ah, ah, what of your little promise? You can't kill anyone!" The vampire laughed.

"That's not what I said." Yami corrected earning a confused look from Bakura. "I said I wouldn't kill anyone unless it was _necessary_." The tri-colored haired man crossed his arms with a victorious smile. "And Serenity is absolutely terrified he and his friends will come looking for her here. Protecting the Fae Queen is rather, _necessary_, wouldn't you agree?" He asked confidently.

"But there's other ways of dealing with them," Bakura pointed out, "you could just erase their memories of her and yourself." The man grinned. Yami merely shrugged.

"Fine, I won't dispatch him." He said not sounding even a little disappointed. "Besides, where's the sport in killing him when I could just torture him with excruciating pain until he takes care of it himself?" The clever vampire grinned. Bakura's face fell. Shaking his head, the white haired vampire released a few dark chuckles.

"Oh Yami," The other vampire laughed, "I shouldn't have underestimated you. You really are as _bad _as they come. I may join you later, this night is turning out to be far more interesting than I had hoped for." With matching grins, the two tan skinned men disappeared into the darkness and toward their own devices.

* * *

><p>THANKS to: <strong>Yami Nocturna, Serena-Hime, SailorVMoon131185, Sesshy's Mistress, Cosmic-lover<strong>, and **Anexya** for reviewing the first part of this this two-chapter story!

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes but I really do appreciate the reviews! Actually, I was a little worried this wasn't all that great since I had less comments but I enjoyed it so much (and those who did review enjoyed it) so I knew I'd definitely finish it! Hopefully this chapter was more exciting, ;). Look out for the 8th chapter of "The Ostiary" next!

Yami is one _bad _guy...but you still gotta love him, right? :)

Thanks again!

~Kochou-hime


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